This invention relates to magnetocaloric materials comprising ternary alloys useful for magnetic refrigeration applications. The disclosed ternary alloys are Cerium, Neodymium, and/or Gadolinium based compositions that are fairly inexpensive, and in some cases exhibit only 2.sup.nd order magnetic phase transitions near their curie temperature, thus there are no thermal and structural hysteresis losses. This makes these compositions attractive candidates for use in magnetic refrigeration applications. The performance of the disclosed materials is similar or better to many of the known expensive rare-earth based magnetocaloric materials.

A process for producing metal ingots includes the steps of: a) filling at least one ingot mould at a filling temperature with at least one metal charge in the solid state, which has a melting temperature higher than ambient temperature, b) melting the metal charge by heating the ingot mould to a heating temperature higher than or equal to the melting temperature of the metal charge, c) solidifying the molten metal charge into an ingot by cooling the ingot mould to a cooling temperature lower than the melting temperature of the metal charge and higher than the ambient temperature, d) extracting the ingot from the ingot mould at an extraction temperature, and e) repeating steps a) to d). At steady state, both the filling temperature and the extraction temperature are lower than or equal to the cooling temperature and higher than the ambient temperature.

A method of casting a metal alloy ingot, including the following steps: providing a one side open-ended mould including a plurality of sides and a bottom plate defining a mould cavity with a mould opening, the open-ended mould being pivotable around a horizontal rotational axis between a position so that the mould opening points upwards and a position so that the mould opening points side-wards or down-wards; positioning the open-ended mould such that the mould opening points side-wards or down-wards; providing a casting container with an upwardly positioned aperture; filling the casting container with molten metal for one casting operation; coupling the casting container to the open-ended mould so that the casting container is located below the mould while the mould opening points side-wards or down-wards; rotating the open-ended mould together with the casting container around the horizontal rotational axis for approximately 90° to 180° from a position whereby the mould opening points side-wards or down-wards to a position whereby the mould opening points upwards such that the molten metal is conveyed through the mould opening into the open-ended mould until reaching a desired thickness, whereby the molten metal in the open-ended mould is cooled directionally through its thickness where the solidification front remains substantially monoaxial.

An apparatus for synchronously melting and preparing alloy, the alloy to be added is made into wire in advance, and the wire feeding speed required for the preparation of the alloy with a specific composition is calculated according to the flow rate of raw molten aluminum in the launder. In the continuous ingot casting process, the wire is continuously and stably fed into the launder of the raw molten aluminum at the wire feeding speed, and the alloy preparation is formed in real time, which is able to avoid specific gravity segregation caused by the long-term standing of melt, and realize the preparation of gradient materials while significantly improving the alloying efficiency. The present disclosure also relates to a method for synchronously melting and preparing alloy.

An aluminum alloy material comprises: Si: less than 0.2 mass %, Fe: 0.1 to 0.3 mass %, Cu: 1.0 to 2.5 mass %, Mn: 1.0 to 1.6 mass %, and Mg: 0.1 to 1.0 mass %, the balance being Al and incidental impurities. A number density of Al—Mn compound having a circle equivalent diameter of not less than 0.1 μm is not less than 1.0×10.sup.5 mm.sup.−2, and a number density of Al.sub.2Cu having a circle equivalent diameter of not less than 0.1 μm is not more than 1.0×10.sup.5 mm.sup.−2.

A railcar axle box includes an axle box main body accommodating a bearing supporting an axle. The axle box main body includes: an inner surface defining an accommodating space accommodating the bearing; a first side surface provided at an outer side of the inner surface and at one car width direction side of a car width direction center of the accommodating space; and a second side surface provided at an outer side of the inner surface and at the other car width direction side of the center. A shortest distance between the first side surface and the car width direction center of the accommodating space and a shortest distance between the second side surface and the center are equal to each other in a car width direction.

A railcar axle box includes an axle box main body accommodating a bearing supporting an axle. The axle box main body includes: an inner surface defining an accommodating space accommodating the bearing; a first side surface provided at an outer side of the inner surface and at one car width direction side of a car width direction center of the accommodating space; and a second side surface provided at an outer side of the inner surface and at the other car width direction side of the center. A shortest distance between the first side surface and the car width direction center of the accommodating space and a shortest distance between the second side surface and the center are equal to each other in a car width direction.

The invention relates to systems for transferring molten metal from one structure to another. Aspects of the invention include a transfer chamber constructed inside of or next to a vessel used to retain molten metal. The transfer chamber is in fluid communication with the vessel so molten metal from the vessel can enter the transfer chamber. A powered device, which may be inside of the transfer chamber, moves molten metal upward and out of the transfer chamber and preferably into a structure outside of the vessel, such as another vessel or a launder.

The invention relates to systems for transferring molten metal from one structure to another. Aspects of the invention include a transfer chamber constructed inside of or next to a vessel used to retain molten metal. The transfer chamber is in fluid communication with the vessel so molten metal from the vessel can enter the transfer chamber. A powered device, which may be inside of the transfer chamber, moves molten metal upward and out of the transfer chamber and preferably into a structure outside of the vessel, such as another vessel or a launder.

The invention relates to systems for transferring molten metal from one structure to another. Aspects of the invention include a transfer chamber constructed inside of or next to a vessel used to retain molten metal. The transfer chamber is in fluid communication with the vessel so molten metal from the vessel can enter the transfer chamber. A powered device, which may be inside of the transfer chamber, moves molten metal upward and out of the transfer chamber and preferably into a structure outside of the vessel, such as another vessel or a launder.